Silent-film organists could "gig the film" or "Mickey Mouse" it (play in ironic contrast with the images on screen or in ham-handed correspondence with them, respectively). But the most successful found the harmonious middle between the two. We talk with musicologist Kendra Preston Leonard about these musicians and why women, in particular, were so central to the art, culture, and values surrounding silent film.
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(Intro music: "Two Types of Awakenings" by Nheap)
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